Some TV shows do not have an expiry date given the legacy they set with their excellence. ‘Breaking Bad‘ is one such show, which ended years ago, but still has its impact reverberating among old fans as well as new ones.
Walter White, the iconic lead character of the show played by Bryan Cranston, is widely regarded as one of the most sinister figures in television history. The show is known for its intense drama and complex characters, but there are a few things that the showmakers toned down for humanity’s sake. The minds behind the show had initially planned to take the darkness even further by giving a dark twist to Walter’s wife Skyler White’s story arc.
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What Was The Original Plan For Skyler White’s Character On ‘Breaking Bad’?
As the iconic TV show ‘Breaking Bad’ unfolds, Walter White’s character sees a major transition from a common, law-abiding citizen to a drug lord. Walt’s descent into criminality is driven initially by his poverty and cancer diagnosis, and late, seemingly for his love for his family. However, the series quickly unveils Walt’s true motivations, revealing his actions to be more about ego than genuine concern for his loved ones.
Walter’s immediate family is rather small — with a wife and a son. His wife Skyler White, played by Anna Gunn, takes on a major role in the show’s narrative as the story moves forward. Initially unaware of his involvement in the drug trade, Skyler later goes on to develop a dark character herself, which is even hated by many of the show’s fans.
It was recently revealed that the creators of ‘Breaking Bad’ initially intended to take Skyler’s character in a much different direction. Vince Gilligan, the series creator, disclosed that the original plan was to have Skyler meet a tragic end by suicide.
In this alternate ending, a scene would have shown Walt and Skyler tied up in a motel amid the drug mafia frenzy. Eventually, Walter would have found Skyler having slit her wrists in the bathtub. This darker twist would have indicated that Walt’s actions took a heavy toll on those around him, pushing his wife to such a desperate state.
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Why Did The Show Creators Decide Against Killing Skyler’s Character?
The creators however decided to change the storyline as it could have given an extremely dark shade to the show. There is already a scene in ‘Breaking Bad’ season 5 where Skyler seemingly tries to drown herself in a swimming pool, but survives.
Had the show creators stuck with their original plan where Skyler succeeds in killing herself, Walter White’s character would have come under heavy scrutiny. The decision to keep Skyler alive in the final version of ‘Breaking Bad’ allowed her character to shape Walter White’s character as well as the story arc of the show.
Her discovery of Walt’s crimes and subsequent involvement gave the show a more nuanced and engaging arc. Though both of them were reaping the benefits of the crime world, Skyler’s character was shown to have a moral sense about when and where to stop. Walter, on the other hand, was blinded by his greed or ego or like he claimed, his love for his family.
Walter often indicates on the show that he is a part of the crime world for the sake of his family. If Skyler had succeeded in taking her own life, the reason he gave himself would have been nullified. Though it was eventually clear enough on the show that Walter was carrying on as a drug lord for his own ego and greed, he denied it till his last breath, adding intrigue to his character’s internal struggle.
By sparing Skyler’s life, ‘Breaking Bad‘ maintained a complex narrative and also added more essence to Walter’s character.
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